Powering through the bad days

NOTRE DAME DU PORTAGE, QUE. – Tuesday was a low day. It’s good to get these things out of the way early, though, so we can stop grumping at each other and get on with having fun.

The highlight of the day was Parc des chutes, a small but spectacular waterfall and hydroelectric dam.

Parc des chutes waterfall and power station. We left as the thunder started.

It started as a small power station attached to a pulp mill back in 1885 that generated enough extra power to make Riviere du Loup (then Fraserville) the first town in the Lower St. Lawrence to have electric lights.

The mill shut down in 1877, but the power plant remained in operation until a fire destroyed the site in 1901. It was rebuilt the following year and was ultimately purchased by town council, which put up this building in 1928.

Looks like time stopped in 1950. It sort of did -- that's when most of this equipment was installed.

Another turbine was added in 1950 and those machines, refurbished and with their diesel engines removed, are still in use. They produce 2400 kW of electricity.